BB pellet hits school bus window in DeLand

DELAND, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - A driver-side window of a Volusia County school bus was hit and cracked by a BB gun pellet early Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The window was fixed by late morning, but the school district said the driver was sitting in the driver's seat, and the bus was moving, when the pellet hit.

"It could've been a bad situation. We're very fortunate that it did not hit the driver or any of the students," said Nancy Wait, a spokesperson for Volusia District Schools.

Two kids were aboard the bus, when the driver made a right turn near Park Drive and Oak Drive, in DeLand,

Greg Akin, Chief Operating Officer for Volusia District Schools, explained that the driver, "heard something hit the window, was unsure what that was."

Akin said the drivers training kicked-in, and he immediately pulled over to find the pellet had hit the glass just 18 inches away from him. His dispatcher called the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.

In the 911 call obtained by FOX 35, the dispatcher is heard saying, "... evidently, someone has shot a BB gun at the bus and broke the driver's side window, behind the driver's seat."

Volusia Deputies are investigating. They don't have any suspects yet. Parents at Highbanks Academy, where the bus was heading, aren't happy.

Jennifer Avant, a parent at Highbanks Learning Center said, "That's one reason I choose not to use school buses, because they're a little dangerous to kids. To me, it just puts their life in other people's hands."

Alfonso Ramòn, another parent said the incident was "Scary."

The District said this isn't the first incident either, telling FOX 35, a window on another bus was hit by a BB gun pellet three weeks ago, in Port Orange.

Wait added more about both incidents, saying, "It is very concerning that there's someone out there shooting toward a bus when there are people on board."

Still, she said they don't want to believe the cases are related, because the incidents happened more than 30 miles apart. The driver and the two students are doing fine Tuesday night, according to the District.